Everything you want to know about dreams!
Hosts Dave Billington and Laura Payne and their guests talk about all the dream experiences, ideas, and theories there are, as well as ways of working with dreams and going further with your nighttime adventures.
Laura and Dave are both psychotherapists and teachers at the Dream Research Institute (DRI), the centre for dream studies at psychotherapy training college CCPE in London, UK.
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Series 5, Episode 10 – MORE DREAM QUESTIONS ANSWERED
Thursday, April 24, 2025 • Duration 39:09
Once again we’ve come to the end of another series and once again we’re going to end with our popular Q&A session. Thanks for listening and joining us on board the Dream Boat this time round. We love having you here and enjoy reading your thoughts and questions.
Dave pops back on board to join Laura for the wrap up and they tackle some great dream themes in this session, including toilet dreams and funeral dreams, discussing their psychological implications and the importance of ‘letting go’ for personal transformation. Whereas toilet dreams can reflect bodily needs or deeper psychological issues, funeral dreams signify the need for ritualistic closure and rebirth.
They discuss how dreams can serve as a reflection of unmet needs in waking life and how the process of letting go can be both challenging and necessary for growth, leading to deeper self-awareness and emotional processing.
They also address the impact of intense dreams on sleep quality and the significance of sleep hygiene and mindfulness in achieving restful sleep. Laura discusses mindfulness techniques from her book Nine Steps to a Mindful Life Without Meditating which can help calm the mind before sleep.
This podcast is a project of the DRI, the centre for dream studies at CCPE, the psychotherapy college overlooking the canals at London’s scenic Little Venice.
Remember you can join the DRI for just £30 a year currently to access discounted events, courses, newsletters and join in the conversation about dreams. Go to driccpe.org.uk/sign-up to join!
Series 5, Episode 9 - WHO IS THE DREAMER – A DEEP DIVE INTO THE WORLD OF WHO ARE WE?
Thursday, April 10, 2025 • Duration 44:43
What happens at the intersection of dreams and consciousness? In this conversation, Laura is joined again by Maria to explore the profound notion of one very powerful question: WHO IS THE DREAMER.
Their guest to help dismantle this philosophical dream knot is Dr. Newton Kondaveti, of Quantum Life University near Hyderabad in India. Dr Kondaveti shares his insights into the relationship between dreams and consciousness, the significance of lucid dreaming, which can pinpoint the path to a higher awareness. He also considers the concept of the Akashic records, a cosmic library or energetic archive of all universal events, thoughts, words and emotions. They discuss how dreams serve as a tool for self-discovery and can alleviate suffering. Dreams contain hidden dimensions of our existence with dreams revealing hidden dimensions not accessible in waking life, as well as providing insights into past and future experiences.
Dr. Kondaveti discusses his work at the Quantum Life University (QLU), emphasizing the importance of understanding dreams in the context of spiritual science and personal growth and the university’s aim of blend spirituality with scientific understanding.
QLU is on qluglobal.com
Insta:qlugobal
Youtube.com/qluglobal
END OF SHOWNOTES
Your dreams are worth inquiring about too! Share a dream or a question via our website driccpe.org.uk or the social links below!
Let us know what you think, and submit a dream for us to explore on the podcast!
Series 4, Episode 10: Yet more dream questions answered!
Season 4 · Episode 10
Thursday, August 22, 2024 • Duration 27:52
Your dream questions... answered.
It's the end of Series 4, and before we take a little break, we take the opportunity to answer more of the questions sent in. Questions like:
What does it mean when I hear music in a dream?
And (the classic):
Why do I keep dreaming about my ex?
As ever, the answers lead us down some suprising, interesting, and sometimes amusing paths.
Sound bites:
"Music is a way of relating to those subtle aspects of ourselves that don't have to go through the cognitive filter."
"Dreaming about an ex may indicate unfinished business, projection of certain qualities onto the ex, or a need to revisit and resolve emotions associated with the past relationship."
Your dreams are worth inquiring about too! Share a dream or a question via our website driccpe.org.uk or the social links below!
Let us know what you think, and submit a dream for us to explore on the podcast!
This podcast is a project of the DRI, the centre for dream studies at , the psychotherapy college overlooking the canals at London’s scenic Little Venice.
Series 4, Episode 9 - Dream Lab: Maria's House
Season 4 · Episode 9
Thursday, August 8, 2024 • Duration 38:13
Time for another Dream Lab! We love these opportunities to hear someone's dream and discuss it in real time with them. We hope you love it too!
For this Dream Lab, we hear from Maria about her dream of a beautiful house and a playful and wild German shepherd dog named Bella. But what are all these Americans doing in the house?
What parts of Maria's inner world are being dramatised here? Listen to our conversation and get in touch via the social media links below to let us know what you think about our exploration of this rich dreamscape that links past, present and future.
Takeaways
Explore the boundaries and trust within your inner world
Acknowledge and trust your own emotions
Integrate playful and wild aspects of yourself
Find out more about Maria's work in psychotherapy, dreamwork, tarot and astrology at www.beginagain.space
Your dreams are worth talking about too! Share a dream via our website driccpe.org.uk or the social links below!
Let us know what you think, and submit a dream for us to explore on the podcast!
This podcast is a project of the DRI, the centre for dream studies at CCPE, the psychotherapy college overlooking the canals at London’s scenic Little Venice.
Series 4 episode 8 – Symbols we love!
Season 4 · Episode 8
Thursday, July 25, 2024 • Duration 39:00
Dave and Laura discuss the power of symbols in dreams and explore the ones they have found most meaningful, personally and professionally.
Ultimately, the meaning of a symbol depends on the individual. They explore the idea of a private, internal language of symbols in dreams and the importance of understanding recurring symbols. They also discuss the concept of archetypes, symbols that transcend personal experience and become shared images within a global consciousness. Dave and Laura share their own favourite symbols and discuss the significance of landscapes, mountains, water, fire, and the elements in dreams.
Your dream images and symbols are worth sharing too! Share a dream via our website driccpe.org.uk or the social links below!
This podcast is a project of the DRI, the centre for dream studies at CCPE, the psychotherapy college overlooking the canals at London’s scenic Little Venice.
Series 4 episode 7 – Dreamapalooza! Impressions of the 2024 IASD conference
Season 4 · Episode 7
Thursday, July 11, 2024 • Duration 35:57
Dave and Laura are joined by Maria to talk about recent conference of the International Association for the Study of Dreams (IASD). They share their impressions and highlights from the conference, including workshops on topics such as AI and dreams, tarot and dreams, lucid dreaming, and surrealism. They also discuss the art exhibition at the conference, which showcased dream-inspired artwork. The conversation touches on the themes of consciousness, spirituality, and the transformative power of dreams.
You can attend IASD conferences too! The 2025 conference will be online, as will every second annual conference in the coming years.
Keywords: IASD conference, impressions, highlights, AI and dreams, tarot and dreams, lucid dreaming, surrealism, art exhibition, consciousness, spirituality, transformative power of dreams
Your dreams are worth talking about too! Share a dream via our website driccpe.org.uk or the social links below!
Let us know what you think, and submit a dream for us to explore on the podcast!
This podcast is a project of the DRI, the centre for dream studies at CCPE, the psychotherapy college overlooking the canals at London’s scenic Little Venice.
Series 4. Episode 6 – Can you recognise an artificial dream? With Dr Deirdre Barrett
Season 4 · Episode 6
Thursday, June 27, 2024 • Duration 52:48
Dr Deirdre Barrett is a pioneer on the frontier of dreams and technology. This week, we bring you Laura’s interview with this Harvard psychologist, dream researcher, clinician and artist who has been pushing the bounds of new technology to increase our understanding of dreams and ask deeper questions about what generative AI tells us about dreams when it generates its own versions of novel dream reports. Can you tell the difference between an AI’s dream and a human’s?
Deirdre Barrett, Ph.D. is a psychologist on the faculty of Harvard where she teaches courses on dreams to undergraduates, psychiatry residents & psychology interns, and lectures on hypnosis. She is President of the International Association for the Study of Dreams. She has written five books including Pandemic Dreams and The Committee of Sleep, She is Editor-in-Chief of the international academic journal, Dreaming. Dr. Barrett has published dozens of academic articles and chapters on dreams, hypnosis, sleep talking, and evolutionary psychology. Her current work focuses on dreams and creativity.
Laura interviewed Dr. Barrett at the annual conference of the International Association for the Study of Dreams in Kerkrade in the Netherlands.
For the Dream of the Week, Dr. Barrett and Laura discuss a dream that inspired one of her works of dream art, in which owls swoop down onto a woman’s head.
Your dream images are worth fascinating too! Share a dream via our website driccpe.org.uk or the social links below!
Let us know what you think, and submit a dream for us to explore on the podcast!
Season 4, Episode 5 - Dream groups: whats the point?
Season 4 · Episode 5
Thursday, June 13, 2024 • Duration 36:49
Talk about your dreams?? 😱😬😧
…But what if there was a place where you could explore your dreams with like-minded people? Lots of people find dream groups to be a supportive environment to expand their understanding of their dreams and themselves.
This week on the Dream Boat, Laura and Dave discuss the benefits and experiences of dream groups, exploring the process, symbolism, and healing aspects of sharing dreams in a group setting. The conversation delves into what it’s like to be in a dream groups, different ways of exploring dreams in a group setting, lucid dreaming, and the potential for forming dream clubs.
For the Dream of the Week, Dave and Laura also analyse a (slightly scary) submitted dream, highlighting the themes of opposition, self-image, and the primal nature of the dreamer's experience.
Your dream themes are worth discussing too! Share a dream via our website driccpe.org.uk or the social links below!
Takeaways
Dream groups provide a space for individuals to share and explore their dreams in a supportive and facilitated environment.
The process of sharing dreams in a group setting can lead to deep friendships, shared dream symbolism, and a heightened sense of empathy.
Professional courses and peer groups offer different experiences but both have value.
See driccp.org.uk for information about the short and long courses offered there.
Let us know what you think, and submit a dream for us to explore on the podcast!
Season 4, Episode 4 - Would you let AI interpret your dreams? With Kelly Bulkeley and Sheldon Juncker
Season 4 · Episode 4
Thursday, May 30, 2024 • Duration 45:41
Laura and Dave go head-to-head with an AI trained to interpret dreams. Who (or what) comes up with the most meaningful interpretations? You decide!
Elswhere is a dream journaling app that offers interpretations powered by a GPT (generative pre-trained transformer), otherwise known as a generative AI. Kelly Bulkeley and Sheldon Juncker have been instrumental in creating and training Elsewhere to interpret dreams, and they come aboard the Dream Boat to discuss the intersection of technology and dreaming, specifically the use of AI in dream interpretation.
The guests discuss the accuracy and insights provided by the AI interpretations, which draw on the work of Freud and Jung, among others.
In an extended “Dream of the Week” segment, Sheldon shares a dream for Dave and Laura to explore and interpret, and then the group hears what Elsewhere had to say about it.
What will the influence of AI be on dream interpretation, and are there potential benefits of using AI as a tool for self-reflection and understanding? Hopefully it's collaboration, not competition.
Kelly Bulkeley, Ph.D., is a dream researcher and author with a background in the psychology of religion. He is director of the Sleep and Dream Database (as discussed on episode 2 of this series of the Dream Boat), a Senior Editor of the APA journal Dreaming, and a former President of the International Association for the Study of Dreams.
Sheldon Juncker, B.Sc. is a software engineer who works in the fields of dream research, data analysis, and artificial intelligence, who in addition to his work with Dr Bulkeley on Elsewhere also helps to maintain the Sleep and Dream Database.
Let us know what you think, and submit a dream for us to explore on the podcast!
Series 4, Episode 3 - How to Sleep to Dream
Season 4 · Episode 3
Thursday, May 16, 2024 • Duration 45:14
Dave and Laura explore techniques and practices to improve sleep and enhance dream recall. The conversation covers sleep tracking devices, the different stages of sleep, the importance of deep sleep, and the role of REM sleep in dreaming. Drawing on personal experiences with sleep as well as their therapy experience, they share tips for improving sleep hygiene, such as maintaining a regular sleep schedule and avoiding screens before bed. They also explore mindfulness practices and the use of dream journals to enhance dream recall.
Takeaways
Good sleep health is essential for improving dream recall and overall well-being.
Understanding the different stages of sleep, including deep sleep and REM sleep, can help optimize sleep quality.
Practicing good sleep hygiene, such as maintaining a regular sleep schedule and avoiding screens before bed, can improve sleep.
Mindfulness practices, such as body scans and playing the day's film backwards, can help relax the mind and prepare for sleep.
Keeping a dream journal and engaging in techniques to remember dreams can enhance dream recall and facilitate dream exploration.
For the dream of the week, Laura reads a dream from a listener named Gordon, who experiences a profound sense of love for his daughter as he realizes he is coming to the end of his life. The dream mitigates the fear of dying through the overwhelming feeling of love. The conversation explores the connection between sleep, dreaming, and death, as well as the fear of death and its impact on sleep. Techniques for addressing death anxiety and finding meaning in life are discussed, emphasizing the importance of connection and love.
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This podcast is a project of the DRI, the centre for dream studies at CCPE, the psychotherapy college overlooking the canals at London’s scenic Little Venice.
Remember you can join the DRI for just £30 a year currently to access discounted events, courses, newsletters and join in the conversation about dreams. Go to driccpe.org.uk/sign-up to join!
Remember you can join the DRI for just £30 a year currently to access discounted events, courses, newsletters and join in the conversation about dreams. Go to driccpe.org.uk/sign-up to join!
Remember you can join the DRI for just £30 a year currently to access discounted events, courses, newsletters and join in the conversation about dreams. Go to driccpe.org.uk/sign-up to join!
Remember you can join the DRI for just £30 a year currently to access discounted events, courses, newsletters and join in the conversation about dreams. Go to driccpe.org.uk/sign-up to join!
Remember you can join the DRI for just £30 a year currently to access discounted events, courses, newsletters and join in the conversation about dreams. Go to driccpe.org.uk/sign-up to join!
This podcast is a project of the DRI, the centre for dream studies at CCPE, the psychotherapy college overlooking the canals at London’s scenic Little Venice.
Remember you can join the DRI for just £30 a year currently to access discounted events, courses, newsletters and join in the conversation about dreams. Go to driccpe.org.uk/sign-up to join!
This podcast is a project of the DRI, the centre for dream studies at CCPE, the psychotherapy college overlooking the canals at London’s scenic Little Venice.
Remember you can join the DRI for just £30 a year currently to access discounted events, courses, newsletters and join in the conversation about dreams. Go to driccpe.org.uk/sign-up to join!
This podcast is a project of the DRI, the centre for dream studies at CCPE, the psychotherapy college overlooking the canals at London’s scenic Little Venice.
Remember you can join the DRI for just £30 a year currently to access discounted events, courses, newsletters and join in the conversation about dreams. Go to driccpe.org.uk/sign-up to join!
This podcast is a project of the DRI, the centre for dream studies at CCPE, the psychotherapy college overlooking the canals at London’s scenic Little Venice.
Remember you can join the DRI for just £30 a year currently to access discounted events, courses, newsletters and join in the conversation about dreams. Go to driccpe.org.uk/sign-up to join!
